Lockheed Martin delivered the first of 36 F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force

Lockheed Martin delivered the first of 36 F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force

Posted On
Saturday, 07 June 2014 12:34

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World
Air Force News - Iraq

Lockheed
Martin delivered the first of 36 F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the Iraqi Air
Force.

Lockheed Martin
delivered the first of 36 F-16 Block 52 aircraft to the Iraqi Air Force
during a ceremony today at its Fort Worth facility. Lockheed Martin
is producing the F-16s under a contract from the U.S. Department of
Defense. The F-16s are being built in a configuration tailored to meet
the specific requirements of the Iraqi Air Force, and the contract includes
mission equipment and a support package provided by Lockheed Martin
and other U.S. and international contractors.

F-16 (Photo credit : LM)

"Iraq joins
27 other nations around the world who depend on the F-16 Fighting Falcon
to maintain peace and security," said Orlando Carvalho, executive
vice president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "We are proud to
play a role in the defense of a new democracy and look forward to strengthening
our partnership with Iraq."

This year the F-16 Fighting Falcon celebrates 40 years
of evolution, and it remains the safest and most effective 4th generation
multi-role fighter in the world. The F-16 will continue to be the backbone
of the U.S. Air Force for years to come, assuring proven support and
sustainment throughout the life of Iraq's F-16 program. More than 4,540
F-16 aircraft have been delivered to date, and production is expected
to continue through 2017, with major upgrades being incorporated for
all F-16 versions.